Hircine's Quest
by Nanicane
Summary: Aeri was not expecting to be drug into a quest to help a rogue shifter and his search for redemption. Little did she know this quest would remind her of things she had long forgotten. The Lord of the Hunt demands skin, will Aeri sacrifice her morals and values to appease Hircine?


The blonde Nord watched the stag from in the cover of the bushes; it was a large stag and had a hefty rack upon its head. She wasn't born a hunter; she had been born into a farming family and lived that way until her family had been killed. Her parents had inherited a house in Solitude and on the way to claim the house their wagon had been attacked by bandits, Aeri had escaped into the dark forest. The poor girl had been out in the forest for 3 days, eating nothing but berries she knew were safe until she was found by a wood elf named Arannir. Aeri had immediately taken a liking to the wood elf and he raised her as he would raise his own child. Arannir was a hunter by trade but wood elves were more in tune with nature and Arannir passed his knowledge as best as he could onto the young girl and she was an eager learner. Aeri's skill in hunting rivaled Arannir's and he was proud of that, unfortunately Arannir was already and older elf when he came upon Aeri and now he had since passed for more than 5 months to date. Her lithe and slender body was crouched as she slowly moved from the bushes, arrow pulled back and aimed for the stags' neck. Her fingers released the arrow and it hit its mark and the stag dropped to the ground and writhed in pain. So, Aeri jumped from the bushes and put another in it's head to ease its suffering.

"Thank you for giving your body to me. I will use everything so your soul may be at peace." She whispered into the stag's ear and ran her hand over its eyes to close them.

It took her awhile to skin the stag, clean the meat from the bones and separate everything neatly in her pack after finding a small stream to wash the bones and fur clean of blood. There was always a chance of a bigger predator smelling the fresh blood and come towards the area so she fled the area as soon as she could. That's when she came upon the graveyard in Falkreath and saw a couple weeping over a fresh grave. Aeri took pity on them and picked a few flowers to set on the grave they were crying over,

"Thank you so much." The woman sobbed into her hands as she watched Aeri put the flowers down onto the grave.

The husband had a look of anger on his face,

"It's that damn beast's fault! He killed our little girl!" The wife choked out a sob and the tears flowed more than before.

Aeri arched a brow at the husband,

"What beast?"

"Damn man, Sinding, killed our little girl. That bastard is rotting in jail now. It won't bring our little girl back." The husband was angry and Aeri understood why.

She may not have any children or been around children often but she remembered losing her parents and it was a big event that changed her life. Aeri gave the couple her best and went for the inn until tomorrow morning.

**D-D**

Morning came too quick for Aeri and she found herself heading down into the jail in Falkreath. Aeri was allowed in to see the only prisoner they had and she saw that the prisoner was a male Nord with blonde hair darker than hers but the man was severely underfed. He sat in a pit of water, he looked to be meditating or even praying to the Divines or Talos. His hair was becoming matted with dirt despite he looked like he had a very muscular figure before the whole ordeal and Aeri took pity on this man. She made her way over to the jailor,

"Excuse me sir. That man maybe a criminal but he is entitled to eat, is he not?" The jailor stiffened at her question.

This led Aeri to believe he had not fed the man since he came into the custody of the jailor.

"If you let me give him food I will not tell your superiors." She whispered and the man nodded nervously.

Aeri walked over to the cell the man was in and sat in front of it, his back was facing her but he did not acknowledge her presence. If this man was a werewolf she assumed the only way to coax him into speaking to her, she rummaged through her pack and pulled out a hunk of dried meat. His head turned to the side only just and she saw his nostrils flare, he could smell the meat but he did not move. Sinding knew the woman was coaxing him but after transforming in front of people…it was hard for him to want to talk to anyone. The smell was familiar to him both the smell of the dried meat and the woman but, the past was behind him.

"Would you not talk to me?" She whispered,

"Come to gawk at the monster?" His voice was not harsh and it held so much sorrow in it.

"I was told you were imprisoned here for killing a little girl." Aeri mumbled and held the meat out; he took it slowly and sat down to eat it.

"Believe me, it wasn't anything I ever intended to do. I just…lost control." He took a bite of the meat and leaned against the cold stone wall.

"I learned long ago that men cannot always control themselves." He nodded at her statement then shook his head.

"I tried to tell them, but none of them believed me. It's all on account of this blasted ring." The man sighed and pulled a ring from his pocket, a ring that had a wolf's head on it.

"This is the Ring of Hircine. I was told it could let me control my transformations." He set it near the bars as his eyes looked over to the jailor.

Aeri picked it up and looked at the ring with a critical eye,

"It might have helped with the transformations but I'll never know. Hircine…was not happy when I took it so, he placed a curse on it." Sinding looked at the young woman as she examined the ring.

He remembered being a young boy when he first saw her, Arannir the Hunter had brought her to Falkreath with him. She was a pretty little girl who must have been only eight summers old then and he in his sixteenth. The girl did not speak but she was like a hawk watching Arannir's movements but she was not an elven child, she was a Nord. A few Nords were not happy with Arannir having the little girl in his presence but when they came near her she hissed like a cat and hid behind Arannir. That little girl had turned into a beautiful young woman who sat before him.

"I'm guessing you found out about the curse after you put it on."

"The changes came when they pleased, I could never guess when. It would be at the worst times. Like…with the little girl." He hung his head in shame.

"What kind of transformation?" She looked up at him but he was looking away from her,

"I'm sure you've heard of men who shift to beasts under the influence of the moons. I am one of them. A werewolf. It's my secret, and my shame. That's why I wanted the blasted ring. It was said to give men like me control." Sinding shook his head and looked up at the top of the cell he was in, midday light was shining through and making the water in the pit shiny brilliantly.

"Surely there is some way to cure you of this affliction?" She asked as she moved closer to the bars,

'No. the animal inside is who I am now. I may have the appearance of a man, walk, talk and eat like one but inside…I am an animal." He stood up and went to the other side of the pit.

Feeling the cool water on his tired legs and feet,

"What will you do now?" She asked and he turned to look back at her.

"I've been thinking of ways I can…appease Hircine. There is a certain beast in these lands a large majestic white stag. It is said whoever slays it with be able to commune with Hircine. I had tracked it into these woods, but then had my accident with the child." Sinding folded his arms over his chest.

Aeri was surprised at the mention of the White Stag; she had seen the beast not long after her parent's death. Before Arannir had come and found her, the stag just watched her for what must have been hours before prancing off into the thicket.

"I wish to beg his forgiveness and give him back the ring. But while I am stuck in here, the beast that must be slain wanders free." He sat in the water and watched the emotions run through her eyes.

"I will take the ring to Hircine." She decided and she looked up at him.

"I do not want anything more to do with that wretched ring. Take it." Aeri took the ring into her hands and place it in a pocket.

"You should leave while I still have my skin. If our paths should cross again, I will remember your kindness. Farewell." He gave her a sad smile and stood up.

She stood up as well but held his gaze and watched as his human flesh was torn from his body and replaced with black fur. He became what he hated, howled then he began to scale the pit walls, guards starting screaming. Aeri ran up the stairs and out of the building to where the top of the pit would be and watched as the beast tore the grating from the top of the pit and jumped out. The beast looked back at her then ran off.

**D-D**

Aeri had not expected the man to transform right in front of her eyes, seeing the pain in those sad orbs but she had was going to get rid of the accursed ring he had given her or she would die trying. Her thoughts were flooded of the sad man and the need to help him in any way she could, gripped her heart like a vice. It had been years since she had cared about the plight of any man but this one seemed to pull her in like an invisible rope was guiding her. The talk of the White Stag had perked her interest, she had seen if few times in her life and there were times when she heard it was an aspect of the Daedric Lord Hircine. The Hunt was what he craved and claimed dominion over it, most hunters revered him and prayed to him for their hunts to be safe and bountiful. She had never sought to pray to a being that did not exist. The hunters in town had proved more that helpful, they were delighted in having someone they knew seek out the White Stag and so they gave her as much information as they had about the stag. Her trip would take her further than she had planned but she would find the White Stag.

**D-D**

Aeri had finally caught a break after a week of tracking the fabled White Stag; she had seen it naught but a few nights before and had tracked its movements. It was already late in the evening when she finally found the large beast so; she notched an arrow and pulled it back. Unleashing the arrow aimed for the beast's leg, it hit its mark but tried to run. Aeri followed. The White Stag was a formidable prey. The next arrow took out one of its front legs, causing the large stag to stumble and fall. A dagger to the neck eased the beast's passing but before she could skin it, the carcass disappeared but was replaced by ghost of sorts that resembled the stag.

"Well met, hunter."

"You are not Hircine." She said as she looked at the apparition.

"I am the Spirit of the hunt, just one glimpse of the glorious stalker that your kind calls Hircine." The beast said and she nodded to it.

"I must ask a favor: will you remove the curse from the Ring of Hircine?" Aeri asked but the beast seemed to almost reek of rejection.

"I may consider it but you must first do a service for my glory." She rolled her eyes at the beast.

"I will do this service, name it." Aeri said proudly.

"The one who stole the ring has fled to what he thinks is his sanctuary. Just as a bear climbs a tree to escape the hunt, but only ends up trapping himself. Seek out this rogue shifter. Tear the skin from his body, and make it an offering to me." The beast seemed to be stuck in its decision but Aeri would not kill the man.

"We will see. Where does the 'sanctuary' lie?"

"If you delay, remember: there are others who seek my favor. They will hunt him while you delay."

Aeri grumbled and groaned but looked back up at the ghost,

"Where is the sanctuary?" She asked once more,

"Loom for Bloated Man's Grotto, there you will find your prey. Until we meet again, Huntress." The ghost of the stag disappeared after its final statement and Aeri sighed.

The man did not deserve to die for something that was out of his hands but she knew something had to be done.

**D-D**

Bloated Man's Grotto turned out to be a lovely Grotto, if you count the dead men in the beginning of the cave and the Khajiit who told her that despite their best efforts said prey was stronger than the hunters. Aeri continued onward, letting the Khajiit died alone and found herself in the grotto finally. A voice drew her out of her reverie and she looked up on a high ledge, in light of a blood red moon, was the man in wolf form.

"Never thought I'd see you again." She said and she nodded at him, her heart moved by the sadness in his voice.

"Hircine has sent me to kill you." Aeri sorrow was known to him, he was the ultimate prey but her teachings were against a senseless killing.

"And I would deserve it, wouldn't I? I can't stop you if you want to kill me. Hircine is too powerful." He looked right then left, hearing something she could not.

"I ask that you spare me. I can help you if you ever need it and I promise never to return to civilized life. I know now that I cannot live among people." He got down on all fours to get a good look at her.

"I would not kill you Sinding for it is the work of Hircine who put you in this mess." Aeri spoke and the beast moved down the cliff he was on to come before her and he bowed.

"Thank the gods. Now, let's deal with the rest of the hunters. We hunt together!" Sinding roared, having been given a chance to redeem himself to the beautiful Nord woman before him.

Sinding turned and began to follow the scent of the other hunters with Aeri following him, running through the grotto. Helping her slaughter all of the hunters who had hunted him to gain the Lord of the Hunt's favor. The sight of her effortlessly helping him take down every hunter whom had hunted him here, it was breathtaking. He was entranced by the woman and he wished that he was a normal man who would be able to take her as his wife. After all of the hunters had been taken care of, they rested in the old ruins in the grotto. Her bow sat next to her as she let out a relieved breath.

"I would like to thank you for your help. I will make my home here, away from anyone I might hurt." Sinding said and turned his head to look at the young Nord sitting next to him.

"I hope you can be happy here Sinding." Her mind racing as she watched him transform back into his human form.

Her hands moved to her pack and she looked inside of it before pulling out a pair of pants then handing it to him. He thanked her and pulled them on as his eyes flickered to the corpses; she had watched him feast from the corpses and had to tell herself it was who he was.

"I will be. I think, I will be able to finally be at peace with this curse." He finally said and sat down on the ground to take a rest from the power the transformation stole from him.

"Sinding, you remind me very much of an older boy I knew years ago. He was very much like you, Arranir would take me to Falkreath often and this older boy would sometimes wave to me." He watched her replay those memories and saw the smile tug at her lips.

"Aeri, I am that boy."

**As of 10/21/12 this has been revised.**


End file.
